FAQS:

Q: Where can I find your Highland Cows?

A: We keep our Highland Cows in 2 areas:

1) We keep a small group of Highland Cows in a field a short walk (max. 5 minutes) from our Brasserie.  The route to this field is accessible for wheelchair users, very small children on foot and prams.  Car parking or taxi drop-off is next to the Brasserie – vehicles are not permitted to drive up to the field. Upon arrival at our Brasserie you will see our orange Highland Cow signs with arrows pointing the way to this area. The walk takes you to a wooden gate.  Sometimes the Highland Cows in this field will come close to the fence or the gate. Please ensure you do not enter this field, do not feed these Highland Cows and do not get too close.

2) We have another larger group of wild Highland Cows that we graze on a very large area of 300 acres of our hills that rise up to 450m above sea level.  This is a much more strenuous and lengthy walk that climbs our hills and is not accessible to wheelchairs users, very small children on foot or prams.  This route passes option 1 above and must be done on foot. This option can take anything from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on where the Highland Cows are located at the time. It may take even longer if they aren't instantly visible and please be aware that you may not see the Highland Cows at all if they are in an inaccessible area of the hills.

Q: Can I pet any of the Highland Cows at Swanston Farm?

A: No. Swanston Farm is a working farm, not a petting farm. Our Highland Cows are wild and whilst they may look calm and docile, they do not like to be touched/petted. They are extremely powerful and can move surprisingly quickly. Always keep your distance from them at all times and DO NOT try to pet/touch them. Give them plenty of space (at least 10 metres). Any other animals here at Swanston Farm are privately owned and cannot be petted or fed.

Q: Are your Highland Cows pets?

A: No, our Highland Cows are not pets and are here to do a job as Conservation Grazers, but they do all have names.

Q: Can you feed the Highland Cows (or any animals) at Swanston Farm?

A: No. The feeding of our Highland Cows or any animals at Swanston Farm is not allowed. The feeding of our animals can make them very sick or even kill them. Please do not bring any food with you for the Highland Cows or any other animals – this includes carrots or apples.

Q: What are your opening hours?

A: Our opening hours are 9.30am-4pm (we are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and are open 10am-4pm on New Year's Day). Please note that in winter it is dark by 3pm, so visitors must be off the hills before then. We would be grateful if visitors could please respect the privacy of our village and community.

Q: Do I have to buy a ticket or book to visit the Highland Cows at Swanston Farm?

A: No. You don't have to book or buy a ticket to visit our Highland Cows as we do not charge to visit, but if you are wanting food and drink at our Brasserie you will need to book a table at least 24hrs in advance by phone Tel: 0131 445 2239 or Email: brasserie@swanston.co.uk.  Please be aware that our Brasserie is an extremely busy dining establishment and tables in our Brasserie may not be available with less than 24hrs notice.

Q: If it is raining or snowing can you still see the Highland Cows?

A: Our Highland Cows live outside all year round, day and night, but be aware that bad weather might mean the visibility is poor and therefore you may not be able to see the Highland Cows.

Q: Can I book on a tour to see the Highland Cows at Swanston Farm?

A: Sorry, no. We do not conduct any tours to see the Highland Cows.

Q: How can I get to Swanston Farm?

A: Visit our 'Find us' section for all information about how to get to Swanston Farm.

Q: How can I find my way around Swanston Farm?

A: To get an idea of the large area at Swanston Farm, take a look at this aerial view of the farm here, you will be able to see it all very clearly which will help you plan your trip.

Q: What do I need to wear to visit Swanston Farm?

A: Make sure you are dressed for the weather and wear sturdy boots!  Scottish weather can be very unpredictable, so plan ahead. Our hills are very steep, uneven and challenging. In Spring, Autumn and Winter there are often high winds, storms, rain and snow, which means our farm is often muddy, icey and snow-covered.  In Summer we can have very variable weather, from rain to high winds and if we're lucky, warm sunshine!

Q: Can I bring my dog when I visit Swanston Farm to see the Highland Cows?

A: Yes, but please keep dogs under strict control/on a short leash around our Highland Cattle and any other livestock at Swanston Farm. Give them a wide berth and avoid startling them. For important information about walking your dog in Scotland, please refer to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code for dog walkers here.

Q: Do you use your Highland Cows for meat?

A: No, we use them for Conservation Grazing and they live their whole lives with us.

Q: How do your Highland Cows help with Conservation Grazing?

A: We are working to restore Scottish native species trees to our land and our Highland Cows are part of this regeneration programme. They help prevent vegetation from becoming over-grown, their dung recycles nutrients, encouraging greater diversity in plants species and adds natural fertilisation to the land, (which in turn provides a food source for several invertebrates and insects such as dung beetles, as well as a growth source for fungi). Any seeds they have ingested are also broken down in the gut, allowing easier germination once passed through the cattle. The short legs of the Highland Cows means they can cope with very steep and uneven terrain, reaching otherwise inaccessible areas to graze. Our hills provide a variety of habitats for important species that depend on how we manage our land, from fungi, to butterflies, to mammals, to plants to birds and more.

Q: How much do your Highland Cows weigh?

A: Our Highland Cows weigh between 300kg and 850kg (that's the weight of a small car!).

Q: Do Highland Cows have any natural predators in Scotland?

A: No. There are no large predators in Scotland.

Q: Can Highland Cows be any colour?

A: The classic deep orange-red colour is most common, but they can come in other colours including yellow or cream, brindle (dark and light colours in the coat), dun, white and black, which is the breed's original colour.

Q: Do males and females have horns?

A: Both male and female Highland Cows have horns. You can usually tell them apart by their horns: male horns generally grow in a forward direction, often rising again at the points.  Female horns will grow out level at the head and then scroll backwards and outwards or will grow in a much squarer shape, parallel from the head and then rising sharply upwards, almost at 90 degrees

Q: Do you ever remove their horns?

A: Only for welfare reasons, such as if their horns are growing in the direction of the cow's face or body. This is done by a veterinarian who may sedate the cow and then nerve-block its horn to prevent suffering. Highland Cows use their horns to scratch themselves, communicate with each other, defend themselves and push their way through vegetation. We feel it is important to leave their horns on.

Q: Do they shed their horns?

A: No, Highland Cows have their horns for life. Horn growth is at its fastest during the first 5 years of their lives, as the animal reaches full maturity.

Q: Do you milk Highland Cows?

A: Traditionally, Highland Cows are used for their meat. Their milk is very thick and buttery (good for their calves) and they are not used as dairy cows.

Q: Can Highland Cows see with that long fringe of hair over their face?

A: Yes! Their eyes are actually on the side of their head, so can see well, with around 340 degrees of vision. The long hair over their face (called the 'Dossan') is an important part of their welfare, keeping flies away from their eyes, as well as any debris that might be blowing in the wind, or any bushes they might be foraging in.  We want the Dossan to be long and full. Cow's eyes have large rectangular pupils which absorb considerably more light than human eyes (which means they can see better at night) and gives them a wider, panoramic field of vision but they need longer to focus, which is why you'll often see a cow stopping and staring or moving closer to the object of interest.

Q: Do you do any breeding on the farm or have any baby Highland Cows?

A: No. We don't breed from our Highland Cows, but instead buy youngstock at 18 months old or rehome from around Scotland. Our fold consists of females and neutered males. Our youngest was born in 2023 and our oldest were born in 2003.

Q: Do you need to trim or brush their hair?

A: No. Their body hair is actually a very clever 2-layer coat. The outer layer is longer and thicker, with natural oils secreted from their skin that coats this hair, meaning water runs off it and doesn't penetrate their coat. The under layer of hair is much shorter, finer and fluffier. In the summer, these soft hair fibres can lift to allow heat to leave the cow's body. In the winter, when the coat is thicker, these fluffy fibres will trap heat in. Highland Cows will naturally shed some of their thick coat in the Spring (which the birds collect for their nests), leaving them with a thinner coat. In warm weather they will sometimes seek out shade or will head to the peaks of the hills where the air is cooler. In Autumn, as the days get shorter, they will start to grow a thicker coat, ready for the cold winter months. We don't need to brush their hair – in fact, our Highland Cows spend much of their time walking between or scratching themselves on spiky bushes, which makes acts as nature's hairbrush!

Q: What do they use their tongues for?

A: Their tongues are very long, strong and dexterous and have a rough surface that feels similar to sand-paper and shark skin. The roughness is actually the different sized taste buds, which help to hold on to the saliva in the mouth (which is essential for starting to break down the food) as well as assisting the tongue in gripping on to the food source, such as long grass, hay or trees and shrubs as they pull it towards their mouths. The tongue helps to move food matter around the mouth. Cows often explore things they are interested in using their tongues, as well as regularly using them to clean their nostrils.

Q: How do the cows sleep?

A: Cows (like horses) can only get deep (REM and non-REM) sleep whilst lying down and not whilst standing up, but they can 'doze' whilst standing up. They will lie down to sleep several times within a 24hr period and sleep for short stretches at a time before either sitting back up or getting back on their feet to start eating once more. This is called 'polyphasic' sleeping. In total they sleep for between 2-5hrs within a 24hr period.

Q: Do Highland Cows dream?

A: Their brain activity during deep sleep does show signs of dream state, and whilst cows are in paradoxical sleep (the phase when the body is asleep but the brain is active), their brain wave activity will sometimes cause their eyes to flicker open and shut, the muscles in their ears, lips and face will move, sometimes their legs will twitch and they can even make noises whilst in this sleep phase!

Q: What are their teeth like?

A: Cows have unusual dental set-ups; they only have incisors (front teeth) on their bottom jaw; on the top they have no incisors, just a 'dental pad' which is a solid, flat part of the upper jaw. They do have cheek teeth (known as premolars and molars) (the same as humans) on both the upper and lower jaw. The incisors and the pad at the front snip or break off the food they are eating and the cheek teeth grind the food matter down, with help of the tongue that moves the food around their mouths. Interesting fact: the 'dental pad' is found in all ruminants e.g. goats and sheep, we well as camels, deer and giraffes!

Q: Do Highland Cows have 4 stomachs?

A: No, this is a myth! Cows do not have 4 stomachs, but in fact have 1 stomach with 4 chambers (sections) to it. Food travels through the 4 chambers which each have a specific role in the break-down and digestion of the food matter.  These 4 chambers mean that they can digest plant matter much more efficiently than horses, rabbits and humans, which have a single-chamber stomach.

Q: What do your Highland Cows eat?

A: We don't need to give them special food. They forage our grasslands and hills, selectively grazing any area they wish. Their diet is rich in many species of grasses and other types of vegetation. There is a wide range of legume species and grasses that grow on our hills, giving our cattle a healthy dose of fibre, natural sugars, natural probiotics and medicinal anthelmintic plants. In return, they keep our hills vibrant and full of life – the biodiversity here is intricate and home to rare and interesting species of plants, fungi, wild flowers, insects, birds and mammals. Our cattle drink from the many burns and springs on our hill land. They also get a lot of moisture from the grass. If the snow is deep, we will put hay out for them, so they don't waste valuable energy digging in the snow for grass.

Q: Are Highland Cows native to Scotland?

A: Highland Cows are one of the oldest registered breeds of cattle in the world. Written records of the Highland Cow breed date back to 1885, recorded by the Highland Cattle Breed Society, but first mentioned in the 6^th Century, originating in the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. They are said to have descended from the world's oldest breed, the Egyptian Longhorn which was reportedly well-established in the Nile Valley as far back as 4000BC and bought to Britain by neolithic farmers. The Highland Cow breed has remained largely unchanged over centuries.